Funding the final phase of the 10-Year Transit Vision. Funding Langley and UBC SkyTrain.

The TransLink Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation will be meeting this Thursday. One of the items on the agenda will be extending SkyTrain to UBC.

Today, we are in phase two of the three phase 10-Year Vision which includes expanding transit in Metro Vancouver. From a rail rapid transit perspective, this means that funding is available to build a SkyTrain extension from Commercial-Broadway Station to Arbutus Street along Broadway in Vancouver. This also means that there is funding available to build SkyTrain to somewhere in Fleetwood, since the Guildford/Whalley/Newton light rail project has been cancelled.

The final phase of the current 10-Year Vision calls for rail rapid transit service to extend along Fraser Highway to Langley City. The original plan was for light rail, but the current plan is now SkyTrain.

One of the things about the current 10-Year Vision is that the proposed projects benefit the whole region. With the shift from light rail to SkyTrain, the total funding that is allocated to the South of Fraser remains constant as the kilometres of rail rapid transit being built is being reduced from around 27 kilometers to 16.5 kilometers. Currently, there is no additional funding being requested for the South of Fraser.

There is still the outstanding matter of funding the final phase of the Vision. The current phase three funding gap would require around $120 million per year (2015 $) in new capital and operating revenue.

Incremental revenue required for projects in Regional Transportation Investments: A Vision for Metro Vancouver. Select chart to enlarge.

One of the original plans of the Mayors’ Council was to introduce new forms of mobility pricing such as distance-based tolling. This is a long-term plan, and my feeling is that there is a strong desire to get transit expanded as soon as possible. To plug the final phase funding gap, there are really three revenue sources that can be adjusted: property tax, gas tax, and the development cost charge.

Property tax and the development cost charge are likely the fairest ways to collect revenue for the 10-Year Vision as land value normally increases around high-quality transportation options. Areas that get the most benefit from the Vision will pay their fair share.

The development cost charge (DCC) in 2021 will be $1,545 per new unit of apartment, $2,470 per new unit of townhouse, and $2,975 per new single-family house. DCCs are also applied to other property types. This brings in about $29 million per year.

Increasing TransLink property tax revenue by $10 million per year impacts the average household about $5.50. The provincial government allowed the gas tax to be increased by $1.5 cents which will generate around $30 million per year.

The federal government and provincial government have also committed to funding around half of the total lifecycle cost of the 10-Year Vision. Increased revenue from transit ridership will also help plug the current funding gap.

I can image there will be lots of discussion at the Mayors’ Council table to find the combination of taxation increases that can be supported, and to re-confirm the support of the federal and provincial governments.

Building SkyTrain from Arbutus to UBC will cost between $3.3 billion and $3.8 billion (2018 $), and is not in the current 10-Year Vision.

The Mayor of Vancouver has been supportive of getting SkyTrain built in Surrey. It will be interesting to see if the Mayor of Surrey is supportive of getting SkyTrain built to UBC. Even more interesting will be to see if there is a push to build SkyTrain to UBC as part of the final phase of the 10-year Vision. If so, it will have a major impact on the funding required, and will also need increased funding commitments from both the federal and provincial governments. It is a federal election year, so anything is possible.

I’m hopefully that the region’s mayors will be able to come together to fund a transportation vision that will benefit the whole region. The need for improving transit is only growing.

May 27, 2019 Council Meeting Notes: Council calls on feds to support transit Congestion Relief Fund. Development projects considered.

Today is a continuation of my notes about Monday night’s Langley City Council meeting.

A public hearing was held on May 13th to gather input from residents about a proposed 34-unit, 4-storey apartment building which is proposed to be located at the northwest corner of Douglas Crescent and 208th Street (20755, 20765 Douglas Crescent and 5453 208 Street). For more information on this proposed project, please read the meeting note about that public hearing.

On Monday, council gave third reading for the rezoning bylaw to support this proposed apartment building.

Location of proposed building at 5443, 5453, 5461, 5469 Brydon Crescent. Select map to enlarge.

Rendering of proposed building from Brydon Crescent. Select image to enlarge.

Council also gave first and second reading for a rezoning bylaw which would accommodate a proposed 115-unit, 4-storey apartment building along Brydon Crescent. This will allow for a public hearing to be scheduled about this proposed rezoning and building.

Council also received at letter from Burnaby city council asking that we support their motion calling on the provincial government to update the legislation on what kinds of financial investments municipalities can make in BC. Cities put money into capital project reserve fund that don’t necessarily get used right away. In Langley City, we save money over multiple years for larger projects like the Timms Community Centre. Currently, there are tight restricts on how this money can be saved and invested which makes it virtually impossible for municipalities to lose money. Burnaby council wants to loosen these rules. Langley City council voted unanimously to have Langley City staff provide their opinion about this motion before being considered further by council.

As you may be aware, TransLink’s Mayors’ Council has launched the “Cure Congestion” campaign to get all federal parties to commit to providing stable and on-going funding for transit expansion in our region. They are calling on all federal parties to commit to investing $3.4 billion annually to provide communities across Canada stable transit funding. This would work out to $375 million annually for Metro Vancouver.

If the federal government moves forward with what the Mayors’ Council is calling the “Congestion Relief Fund”, it would ensure that phase three of TransLink’s 10-Year Vision continues to move forward, as well as future transit initiatives. It is important that phase three of the 10-Year Vision gets funded as that is the phase that gets SkyTrain to Langley City.

The Mayors’ Council is seeking the support of all councils in Metro Vancouver for their “Cure Congestion” campaign. The following lengthy motion was put forward for councils in our region to consider.

WHEREAS ridership on transit in Metro Vancouver is exploding, and another one million commuters are coming to our region over the next 20 years;

WHEREAS the 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transit and Transportation is making historic investments to improved regional bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, West Coast Express and HandyDART services which will help keep the region moving, reduce the impact of population growth on regional GHG emissions, and improve access to affordable housing options;

WHEREAS Metro Vancouver’s North American-leading ridership growth is out-pacing the expansion planned in the 10-Year Vision, leading to continued overcrowding pressures on transit, and congestion on our roads;

WHEREAS to support these new riders and planned population growth, the remaining projects in the 10-Year Vison and the next wave of regional transit and transportation priorities to be identified in the Transport 2050 planning process must be funded and approved quickly to avoid losing momentum on addressing overcrowding and congestion;

WHEREAS local governments via the Mayors’ Council establish plans for new transit/roads/active transportation projects and infrastructure for the region, with reliable federal and provincial funding being critical to making projects a reality;

WHEREAS our region needs the next federal government to continue its successful partnership with the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, TransLink and the Province of B.C., so our region doesn’t go backwards with worsening road congestion and overcrowding on transit;

WHEREAS in April, 2019, the Mayors’ Council released its federal election platform, “Cure Congestion,” that calls on national parties to commit to work in partnership to cure congestion in Metro Vancouver;

WHEREAS the Cure Congestion platform asks all federal parties to commit to establishing a Congestion Relief Fund that would deliver $3.4 billion annually across Canada based on ridership, delivering approximately $375 million annually to TransLink;

WHEREAS the Congestion Relief Fund will provide a permanent, predictable source of federal funding that can be invested alongside TransLink and provincial government commitments to accelerate completion of the 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transit and Transportation and start the next phase of projects to be identified in the Transport 2050 planning process to improve the transit and transportation network in every corner of our region;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

THAT City of Langley Council supports the Mayor’s Council on Regional Transportation’s Cure Congestion campaign;

AND THAT candidates running in the 2019 federal election for the riding of Cloverdale-Langley City be urged to support the call for a Congestion Relief Fund.

Councillor Storteboom and Martin were concerned that the motion did not explicitly call out the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain line as a priority. I commented that the 10-Year Vision includes this SkyTrain line as a critical component of phase three even if it wasn’t explicitly in the motion.

In the end, the motion was passed by council with Councillor Storteboom opposed.

While SkyTrain is preferred, light rail will serve the needs of Langley City

Monday night was the last Langley City council meeting until August 23. Over the last few days, I have posted about our community’s new vision “Langley City: Nexus of Community” and its accompanying implementation plan which was adopted at that meeting. Over the next week, I will be posting about other items covered at that meeting.

Back in the summer on 2016, Langley City council received presentations about the merits of light rail and SkyTrain as solutions for providing high-quality, rail rapid transit between Downtown Surrey and Downtown Langley along Fraser Highway. At the end of the presentations, council asked staff to investigate what would be the prefer technology from our community’s perspective.

Langley City staff did an evaluation of both SkyTrain and light rail technologies. They found that SkyTrain provided better overall safety, travel time, and reliability compared to light rail. Light rail performed better for overall accessibility and ability to integrate into the community due to ground-level stations. City staff found that SkyTrain would be better for Langley City, though both technologies would have a positive and transformative impact on Langley City.

Currently, it can take 70 minutes to travel between Downtown Surrey and Downtown Langley on bus. With the new Fraser Highway B-Line, it will take around 40 minutes. Light rail would take around 30 minutes, and SkyTrain around 20 minutes.

Beyond travel time, light rail or SkyTrain gives people a way out of congestion in a way that buses and B-Lines cannot; buses still share most of the road with other traffic. As our part of the region continues to grow, rail rapid transit will be the only way that we will be able to move people around effectively.

Offices, industry, and shops are choosing to locate near rail rapid transit as this is something that both employees and customers prefer. Rail rapid transit, combined with rental housing located near stations, supports more affordable housing and transportation options for all people.

Langley City’s new vision is based on having rail rapid transit in our Downtown. For our community to thrive, it will be imperative that we have rail rapid transit access.

There is a three-phase transportation plan for our region called “The 10-Year Vision” which is currently in phase two implementation. During the negotiations for phase two funding, Langley City council wanted to ensure that our community wouldn’t be forgotten.

There is a saying, “don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.” Based on the funding available, and that Langley represents 5% of our region’s population, we didn’t want to be left behind in the 10-Year Vision. For example, there is a real possibility that SkyTrain could terminate at 160th Street with no rail rapid transit to Langley City in my lifetime.

As reported publicly, light rail between Downtown Langley and Downtown Surrey would cost $1.9 billion to build, and $18 million a year to operate. SkyTrain would cost $2.9 billion to build, and $26 million to operate.

I’m a pragmatic person, and while Langley City council will continue to advocate for SkyTrain, it is unlikely that an extra billion dollars will be found by the province and federal government. Langley City council made the following motion on Monday:

WHEREAS the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation and TransLink Board have finalized more than $7 billion in transportation improvements under Phase 2 of the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision on June 28, 2018;

WHEREAS the approved funding for Phase 2 of the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision includes a $30 Million investment for project development and potential early works for the Surrey-Langley Light Rail Transit Line;

WHEREAS Langley City Council will continue to lobby the Federal and Provincial governments and TransLink to secure additional funding for SkyTrain Technology; and

WHEREAS Langley City Council fully expects the Federal and Provincial governments and TransLink to fulfill their commitment to fund Phase 3 of the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision to construct the Surrey-Langley Light Rail Transit Line within the next eight to 10 years;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Langley City Council publicly release the following resolution with respect to the extension of the light rail transit line from Surrey to Langley that was adopted by City Council at the December 11, 2017 Closed Meeting of Council, with amendments that remove confidential information:

WHEREAS Langley City Council supports the principle that the preferred South of Fraser Rapid Transit (SoFRT) be based on a comprehensive regional perspective and that the preferred rapid transit network selection criteria include performance, affordability, deliverability and connectivity.

WHEREAS Langley City Council concludes that the SkyTrain technology for Stage 2 – Fraser Highway Corridor between King George Station and Langley is superior to Light Rapid Transit (LRT) based on the perspective of safety, travel time, reliability and potential for future extensions.

WHEREAS Langley City Council recognizes the capital cost and annual operating cost differential between SkyTrain technology and LRT technology is significantly higher and that the Federal funding is based on a set allocation model which will not be increased if SkyTrain technology is chosen for Stage 2 – Fraser Highway Corridor between King George Station and Langley.

WHEREAS Langley City Council would desire the Province and the region to secure the additional funds for the SkyTrain technology for Stage 2 – Fraser Highway Corridor between King George Station and Langley.

WHEREAS Langley City Council recognizes that securing the additional funds for the SkyTrain technology for Stage 2 – Fraser Highway Corridor between King George Station and Langley may not be forthcoming or possible and hence delaying the funding approval for the Phase Two Investment Plan.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Langley City Council accepts the LRT technology for Stage 2 – Fraser Highway Corridor between King George Station and Langley, with the track being elevated between Willowbrook Mall and east of 200th Street, subject to the following conditions:

1. Inclusion of funding to procure the Stage 2 – Fraser Highway Corridor between King George Station and Langley City as part of Stage 1 – Surrey City Centre to Guildford and Newton.
2. Inclusion of sufficient road right of way width on Fraser Highway to facilitate cycling lanes in the future.
3. Inclusion of adequate pedestrian connectivity and interface infrastructure between the terminus station and the proposed bus depot north of Fraser Hwy and east of 203rd Street.
4. Inclusion of a park and ride facility adjacent to the terminus station.
5. Provision of appropriate infrastructure at the terminus station to extend the rail line to communities east of Langley City.
6. Consideration of a rapid transit maintenance facility in Langley City.
7. Consideration of a rapid transit security satellite office in Langley City.

While SkyTrain is the preferred technology for Langley City, light rail will serve our community just fine if the conditions outlined in the motion are met. I certainly don’t want our community to be left behind because of a rail rapid transit technology choice.

This fall will reveal the future for transit in Metro Vancouver

For as long as I’ve lived in Metro Vancouver, funding for transit expansion has been challenging. Since the launch of the 10-Year Vision for Transportation in Metro Vancouver, our region is closer than ever to finally getting stable, long-term funding required to move forward on much needed transit expansion. With the change in provincial government, we will know within the next six months if our region will be moving forward with the Vision, or if it will be business as usual.

The Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation is meeting today; on the agenda is an update on the 10-Year Vision for Transportation. The business cases for the Broadway Extension of the Millennium Line and Surrey-Langley Light Rail will be finalized this fall. Based on those business cases, the Mayors’ Council will be working with the provincial government to find a regional funding source to pay for transit expansion.

Current overview of 10-Year Vision including phasing. Select table to enlarge.

The provincial and federal governments have agreed to pay for 73% of the costs to building rapid transit, and the provincial government has agreed to pay for 40% of the capital costs for other projects in the 10-Year Vision out of their own revenue sources. This leaves the region on the hook for the remaining costs to building rapid transit and other projects, plus 100% of the on-going operating costs.

As a first step, the Mayors’ are looking for the provincial government to authorize a regional Developer Cost Charge for Transportation in the spring 2018 legislative session. If this is not approved, projects currently underway in phase one of the 10-Year Vision will have to be cancelled or deferred. The Mayors’ are also hoping that the provincial government will announce a fair, affordable regional revenue source to help fund the remaining phases of the Vision this fall.

The following table outlines the preferred timing for phase two projects.

Timeline for phase two service expansion and new rapid transit investments. Select table to enlarge.

On the Pattullo Bridge, with the removal of tolls in our region by the provincial government, the Mayors’ Council is looking for confirmation that the province will straight-out pay for 40% of the capital costs, plus provide an annual operating subsidy in lieu of toll revenue for the replacement bridge. The toll revenue was to be the way that TransLink was going to pay for the new Pattullo Bridge.

On another interesting note, it looks like the Burnaby Mountain Gondola is back on the table.

We will know if the new provincial government is committed to getting Metro Vancouver residents out of congestion by funding much need transit expansion by the end of this fall.

TransLink’s new 10-year plan means major service improvements in the South of Fraser

The Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation recently approved TransLink’s latest 10 year plan. This new 10 year plan is based on the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Vision which was originally proposed to be paid for by a 0.5% sale tax which voters rejected.

This summer, the federal government committed $370 million for transit capital funding in Metro Vancouver. The province government contributed $246 million, and TransLink committed $125 million by selling off assets.

While this capital funding is welcome news, it would not result in the desperately needed expansion of bus or rail service in our region.

Map of phase one transportation improvement. Select map to enlarge. Download PDF from TransLink's website.

In order to restart investing to improve transit service in our region, the Mayors’ Council and TransLink have split-up the original 10-year vision into three phases. Phase one, which was approved on Friday, includes the following transportation investments:

• 28 new SkyTrain cars, 22 new Canada Line cars, 5 new West Coast Express cars, and a third SeaBus.
• Expo Line and Canada Line station upgrades.
• Planning and pre-construction work for Broadway and South of Fraser rapid transit
• 40% of the bus service hour expansion and 35% of the rapid transit service hour expansion proposed in the original 10-year vision.
• Increased funding for the major road network, walking, and cycling projects.
• 5 new B-Lines, plus planning and design for 2 more B-Lines that will be implemented in phase 2.

The South of Fraser is in desperate need of increased transit service, and the largest share of expanded bus service in phase one will be within the South of Fraser.

Table of phase one region bus service expansion. Select table to enlarge.

The following infographic shows the investments proposed for the South of Fraser.

Phase one transportation improvements for the South of Fraser. Select infographic to enlarge. Download PDF from TransLink's website.

Some of the major highlights include a new Fraser Highway B-Line, and new transit service in South Surrey, Clayton, and Willougby.

To pay for the increased service proposed in phase one, there will be an additional 10 cent fare increase in mid-2017 along with normal inflationary fare increases. There will also be an additional on average $3 dollar annual property tax increase over-and-above the normal inflationary property tax increase. There will also be a new regional developer-paid fee for transportation which will be implemented by no later than 2020.

TransLink will be havinng a public consultation on the phase one plan, and you can find out more information at their new 10-year vision website.

Business case to build SkyTrain to Langley strongest

A map of the proposed SkyTrain extension to Langley including station locations. Select map to enlarge.

On Friday, TransLink and the Mayors’ Council released information about the proposed Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension. The big headline was that there isn't enough money available today to build the extension all the way to Langley; there is currently enough money to build the line to Fleetwood.

The current limited funding should come as no surprise. We are currently in phase two of a three phase 10-Year Mayors’ Council Transportation Vision. A fully funded phase three would get the line to Langley. The provincial and federal governments have both stated their commitment to the 10-Year Vision. Like in the past, they are looking for our region to pay for some of project costs and the on-going operating costs.

There is a funding gap right now for phase three. This gap is the regional portion of funding. The Mayors’ Council has been working on plugging this gap. Regional funding includes property tax and developer charges.

What really stood out to me was the strong business case to build the extension to Langley. It has similar ridership characteristics to the Evergreen extension.

Information about various build-out scenarios for the SkyTrain extension to Langley. Select table to enlarge.

TransLink is presenting three scenarios for the Mayors’ Council to consider on Thursday. Extending SkyTrain to Fleetwood will likely be completed in phase two of the 10-Year Vision with the full build-out to Langley completed in phase three of the 10-Year Vision.

By 2035, TransLink estimates that the extension will have daily ridership of 39,900 if it is completed to Fleetwood. If the line is completed to Langley, it would have daily ridership of 62,000!

Building the extension to Langley would double the number of people that start using transit and stop using other modes of travel such as driving compared to just building the extension to Fleetwood. The full extension to Langley will have a meaningful impact on reducing congestion.

The benefit to cost ratio is strongest for building the SkyTrain extension to Langley. The extension would have an annual operating and maintenance cost of $31.7 million (2019 dollars) and the projected fare revenue would be $21.3 million (2019 dollars) by 2035. That would set the farebox recovery at 67%. Farebox recovery greater than 50% is generally considered good.

I look forward to the Mayors’ Council securing phase three funding for their 10-Year Vision which will likely allow SkyTrain to be extended to Langley.

First Look at TransLink’s 10-Year Vision Dashboard

Yesterday, I posted about TransLink’s 10-Year Vision, and how it relates to transit service expansion, walking, cycling, and other road improvements in the South of Fraser.

The 10-Year Vision splits up the Mayors’ Council Regional Transportation Investments plan into manageable, fundable pieces.

Today, the Mayors’ Council will be having a public meeting. On the agenda is a report from the funding strategy committee. Included in the agenda is a slide which shows how transit service will improve over the next decade, plus what was recently approved in phase 1, and what is proposed for phase 2. It also includes the timing for other transportation improvement funding, plus the major projects such as the SkyTrain expansion and the replacement of the Pattullo Bridge.

10-Year Vision Investment Dashboard. Select dashboard to enlarge.

Phase 1 of the vision includes 50% of the proposed new bus service level increases and HandyDart service level increases which is significant. As it stands now, phase 2 will see only a modest increase in transit service levels because phase 2 will be funding the start of expanding the rapid transit expansion in Surrey and along Broadway as well as the construction of the Pattullo Bridge.

As I stated yesterday, our region’s vision for building a multi-modal transportation network is now heading in the right direction. I look forward to a finalized funding agreement for phase 2.

Mayors’ Council halts light rail along King George and 104th Avenue; moves forward with two-phase SkyTrain extension to Langley

As I posted about on Wednesday, important decisions were made at the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation inaugural meeting. I listened to this meeting which was live-streamed on Thursday morning.

One of the first orders of business was to choose a new chair and vice-chair for the Mayors’ Council. People who serve as the chair and vice-chair of the Mayors’ Council are also automatically appointed to the TransLink Board, so these positions are very important.

Mayor Jonathan Cote of New Westminster was nominated by other mayors to be the chair, and Mayor Jack Froese was nominated as the vice-chair. Both Mayor Cote and Froese are good choices for these positions.

New Westminster and Langley City are very similar as we are both compact urban centres. I know that Mayor Cote is also a strong supporter of building compact urban centres that are connected by high-quality transit. This is what we are working towards in Langley City with our Nexus Vision.

Mayor Froese will provide a strong voice for the South of Fraser. He is pragmatic, and I know that he will work to ensure that we will get rapid transit built to Langley.

Not surprising, the Mayors’ Council did vote to halt building light rail along King George Boulevard and 104th Avenue. Importantly, they also voted to keep moving forward with the 10-Year Regional Transportation Investments Vision with the exception of Surrey rapid transit.

After much debate, they also voted to proceed “immediately with planning, design and procurement readiness works for the SkyTrain on Fraser Highway project. And, concurrently, initiate a planning process to refresh the Surrey-Newton-Guildford rapid transit, consistent with the 10-Year Vision of building 27 km of rapid transit along both corridors.”

It was confirmed that SkyTrain along Fraser Highway will likely be built in two phases due to the increased cost of using this technology compared to conventional light rail. The first phase will likely terminate somewhere in Fleetwood. It will be extremely important that funding is approved to ensure that there is a phase two of SkyTrain that will run to Langley.

The Mayors’ Council also approved their work plan for 2019 which includes:

• Securing all remaining funding from the federal and provincial governments to complete the 10-Year Vision, including SkyTrain to Langley
• Getting funding to complete a SkyTrain extension to UBC
• Continuing to moving forward with exploring mobility pricing

While not explicitly stated, moving forward quickly to complete the 10-Year Vision will also mean that the Mayors’ Council will need to approve increased regional revenue to pay for the vision. This will likely mean property tax and gas tax increases.

Over the next few months, more details will become available on the implementation of rapid transit in the South of Fraser, including the timing of implementing B-Line routes. Information will also become available on how to get SkyTrain to UBC.

As I stated last week, I believe that the Mayors’ Council has their work cut out for them. They will need to accelerate and find significant new funding to build transit in our region. I hope that this new Mayors’ Council will move quickly as people in our region are tired of waiting for transit service to be expanded.

Strong public support for TransLink’s 10-Year Vision

Map of improvements proposed in TransLink's 10-Year Vision.

Last month, TransLink engaged in a public consultation process to see what people thought about the agency's proposed 10-Year Vision for the region. I’ve posted a few times about what this would mean for the South of Fraser and the rest of the region if approved.

TransLink recently released the results of the public consultation which saw 5,000 questionnaires completed and 300 people attend public open houses throughout the region. So, what did people have to say about the plan?

It should come as no surprise, but there is broad regional support for expanded transit service throughout Metro Vancouver. Only about 4% of the comments received expressed concern with some, or opposition to all, of phase one of the plan. In fact, many people said that the plan didn’t go far enough. Given that this is only phase one of a three phase plan, more transit investment is coming when the funding becomes available.

While people are supportive of expanding transit, the real question is are they willing to pay for that expansion of service. 6% of the comments received were around concerns with the proposed fare increases and 4% around concerns with the proposed property tax increases. 15% of the comments received stated that TransLink should find other ways to pay for the expansion of service or find “internal savings.”

During the failed transportation plebiscite much was said about TransLink waste, but that turned out to be a red herring. In fact to pay for phase one of the 10-Year Vision, TransLink is using $100 million from the sale of property; selling assets.

It is very positive to see that around 70% of the comments received were generally supportive of plan's funding mix. I believe that people understand that if you want to expand service, taxation revenue is required. People in our region really want to see transit service expanded.

On November 23rd, this plan will be brought forward to the TransLink Board and Mayors’ Council at a joint meeting for potential approval.

A list of TransLink’s proposed transit, road, walking, and cycling improvements that are unfunded

In November 2016, phase one of TransLink’s three-phase, ten-year vision was approved by the Mayors’ Council. Phase two was approved in June 2018. For more details about the projects, service increases, and new funding for road, walking, and cycling infrastructure in this vision, please visit TransLink’s 10-Year Vision microsite.

A TransLink representative presented an update about the 10-Year Vision at the most recent Mayors’ Council meeting and Metro Vancouver’s Council of Councils. The results of phase one transit improvements are in: overall service has increased by six percent between 2016 and 2018, resulting in ridership increasing 15 percent in the same period. Our region has seen one of the highest growth rates for transit ridership of any major region in Canada or the US.

A TransLink representative presenting at Metro Vancouver Council of Councils meeting. Select image to enlarge.

This high growth rate means that transit service is still overcrowded. Phase two of the vision is in the process of being rolled out, but the final phase still is not funded. The following table shows the proposed transportation improvements currently in the final phase of the ten-year vision.

Rail Improvements:

• Upgrades to Expo, Millennium, and Canada Line stations
• Purchase 10 West Coast Express cars
• Upgrades to Canada Line systems
• Surrey-Langley Expo Line extension

Bus Improvements:

• 7% service increase for conventional bus transit
• 8% services increase for HandyDart transit
• Five new B-Lines
• Service expansion to two areas that are underserved today
• Upgrades to 9 transit exchanges

Road Network, Walking, and Cycling Improvements:

• $100 million for road network safety upgrades
• $71.5 million for road network structures and seismic upgrades
• $12.5 million for walking infrastructure
• $43 million for municipal-controlled cycling infrastructure
• $13 million for TransLink-controlled cycling infrastructure

The current provincial government has shown that it is willing to work with the Mayors’ Council on getting transit built in our region. I’m hopefully that this cooperation continues to get phase three funded. The transit referendum that was forced upon our region set transit expansion back many years; we cannot afford these types of delays going forward.

Even with phase three fully funded, more transit service expansion will be needed. TransLink is in the process of developing a new long-range regional transportation strategy which will feed into a new mid-term vision to expand transportation options in our region.

Feds continue support for public transit, and what this means for Metro Vancouver

In September, I posted about TransLink’s 10-year Transportation Vision - Phase 1, and what that meant for the South of Fraser. This is phase 1 of a 3 phase plan which is based on the Mayors’ Council Regional Transportation Investments Vision.

Map of TransLink's 10-Year Vision - Phase 1. Select map to enlarge.

Phase 1 of this plan is being funding in part by $370 million provided by the federal government. The following table shows the full breakdown of funding for Phase 1.

Funding and expenditures for TransLink's 10-Year Vision - Phase 1. Select tables to enlarge.

To implement the full Mayors’ Council Vision will require around $3.9 billion in capital funding over the next decade, and will require the support of all orders of government. The federal government recently announced more details on their 11-year infrastructure plan. In that plan, $25.3 billion is set aside for public transit nationally. If the funding formula is similar to how they allocated public transit funding during this budget cycle, this could mean around $2.7 billion in funding for our region.

The federal government funded 50% of public transit capital cost during the 2016/17 budget cycle, and I don’t expect this to change going forward. What this means is that the federal government is doing its part to funding public transit in our region.

The provincial government has in the past committed to funding 33% of public transit capital costs in the region, this support will need to continue. In addition, the province will need to approve additional on-going funding sources that will generate $100 million annually starting in 2021 to enable the full Mayors’ Council Transportation Investments Vision to come to fruition.

I’m pleased that the federal government is continuing with its plan to make significant investments over the next decade into public transit. With such a large amount of federal funds on the table, I’m hopeful that this will encourage that province and region to come up with a long-term plan for on-going funding to support the Mayors’ Council Vision.

Council of Councils: Paying for transit and transportation expansion in Metro Vancouver

On Monday, I posted about the Metro Vancouver Council of Councils meeting which I attended last Saturday. One of the main items on the agenda was Metro Vancouver’s 2018-22 Financial Plan, and the borrowing required for water and sewer infrastructure. At the same meeting, we also received an update from Kevin Desmond who is the CEO of TransLink.

TransLink is currently moving forward with implementing the Mayors’ Council’s 10-Year Vision. This vision is split into three phases.

Entire 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transit and Transportation. Select table to enlarge.

The provincial and federal governments are funding a significant portion of the capital costs for expanding the transit and transportation network in Metro Vancouver, but our region must also pay for some of the capital costs plus all of the on-going operational costs of the expanded network.

The regional component of phase 1 of the vision is being paid for with increased fare revenue, sold TransLink surplus property, and increased property tax. In addition, the mayors are asking the provincial government to introduce a Regional Development Cost Charge (DCC) for Transportation.

Desmond noted that the regional DCC for Transportation would be borne by developers rather than end users or homeowners. It is expected to raise between $20 million to $25 million annually. It would be waived for affordable rental housing development projects. There would be a different DCC rate for apartments, townhouses, single-family houses, and other types of property. The Mayors’ Council is currently working with the province to have legislation passed to enable the regional DCC for Transportation by the first quarter of 2018. If all goes to plan, developers would start paying the DCC in January 2020.

For phase two of the 10-Year Vision to move forward, Desmond stated that there is currently a $60 million to $80 million funding gap that needs to be filled. The province recently decided that carbon tax does not need to be revenue natural, and will be increasing it over the coming years. The Mayors’ Council is asking that the province contribute a portion of this increase in carbon tax to fund phase two of the vision.

The final part of the funding puzzle will be the introduction of mobility pricing in 2022. At the meeting, we heard from Joy MacPhail who in the vice chair of the Mobility Pricing Independent Commission. The commission will be investigating and making a recommendation on what mobility pricing should look like for Metro Vancouver under the following guiding principles:

• Reduce Traffic Congestion
• Promote Fairness
• Support Transportation Investment

The commission will be releasing its recommendation in late April. For more information, please visit the commission’s recently launched website.

TransLink’s Original Strategic Transportation Plan: A Decade in the Desert for Bus Service Expansion

In 1999, TransLink took over from BC Transit as the provider of public transit service in Metro Vancouver. The original purpose of creating TransLink was to transfer control of transit delivery and planning from the provincial government to the region. I wrote a three-part series on the history of TransLink; it has been a bumpy journey.

I stumbled upon one of TransLink’s original strategic transportation plans which was created a year after the organization took over transit services in Metro Vancouver. I thought it would be interesting to look at what bus service was supposed to look like by 2005 in that original plan, and where we are today.

By 2005, the original strategic transportation plan envisioned that there would be 4.79 million hours of conventional bus service deployed throughout our region (including SeaBus). More bus service hours means more frequent bus service, and bus service in more locations.

TransLink was unable to expand bus service because our local and provincial governments were at an impasse for close to a decade on how to fund transit in our region. It took until 2009 for bus service hours to reach the original 2005 vision. There was a small bump during 2010, then bus service hours remained unchanged until last year. In 2017, 5.12 million hours of conventional bus service was delivered.

The current 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transportation is why we are seeing an actual increase in bus transit now. As I noted yesterday, bus transit is the backbone of the transit network.

Two interesting maps from the original strategic transportation plan focused on bus service. The following map is of proposed B-Line services. Some lines took a bit longer to get implemented than originally envisioned.

Map of proposed B-Line bus routes from 2000 Strategic Transportation Plan. Select map to enlarge.

The strategic transportation plan also called for express buses to service certain corridors. This would be similar to the kind of bus service in South Delta, and between the SkyTrain and Carvolth Exchange in Langley. Some of these routes never materialized.

Map of proposed express bus routes from 2000 Strategic Transportation Plan. Select map to enlarge.

With the recent changes in some municipalities, I am concerned that some in local government may try to open up the 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transportation for new debate. It took close to a decade to get transit expansion restarted in our region. While the plan is not perfect, it is good. I hope that the current Mayors’ Council works hard to ensure that the final phase of the 10-Year Vision gets funded.

More details on transit expansion plan for Metro Vancouver. Moving forward will require province to provide long-term, stable funding.

During the recent provincial election campaign, the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation —responsible for approving TransLink’s plans, funding, and major projects— launched a #CureCongestion 90-Day Action Plan to get the provincial government to confirm stable, long-term funding for transit expansion and other regional transportation priorities in Metro Vancouver.

The key items that the Mayors’ Council wants to see action on by the province are:

1. Formal approval of funding for Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project by the end of July
2. Formal approval of 40% provincial funding for 10-Year Vision by September
3. Formal elimination of referendum requirement for regional transportation funding by September
4. New Development Levy for transportation approved in the fall 2017 legislative session
5. Develop fair regional funding strategy to provide long-term stability for regional transportation projects by the end of September

Transportation and transit was one of the major issues during the last election campaign, and I expect that the top four action items will occur. The big question is will the NDP government approve a long-term funding strategy to pay for regional transportation projects in Metro Vancouver, or will history repeat itself? Previous NDP and Liberal governments have not approved long-term, stable funding.

TransLink’s 10-Year Vision is being delivered in three-phases. Phase one is currently underway, and phase two is currently in development. The Mayors’ Council has recently released more information about the proposed phase two transit service expansion plan.

The following table shows an outline of transit service expansion as currently being delivered and planned.

10-Year Vision Transit Expansion Plan. Select table to enlarge.

In the currently funded phase one, TransLink is delivering 210,000 new hours of bus service in 2017, 36,000 additional hours in 2018, and 148,000 additional hours in 2019. As part of phase two, the plan is for TransLink to deliver 139,000 more bus service hours in 2020 and 80,000 in 2021. This is a significant increase in bus service for Metro Vancouver.

Around 25% of those additional bus service hours are just to deal with increased congestion in our region. These hours will help maintain existing bus schedules. This shows a real example of the cost of congestion in Metro Vancouver.

HandyDART service will also see increased service. This year, HandyDART trips expanded by 85,500 or 8% over 2016. This will increase an additional 4% in 2017, followed by an additional 3% ever year. Phase two will ensure HandyDART expansion continues until at least 2021.

The SkyTrain system is aging and needs to be modernized. Phase two continues the work required to keep the system in a state of good repair. In phase one, 28 Expo/Millennium Line car have been purchased. 22 Canada Line car will be purchased in phase one, increasing the size of the fleet by 1.5 times. A new West Coast Express train-set will also be procured.

Phase two will see an additional 86 Expo/Millennium Line SkyTrain cars being purchased which will support the proposed Millennium Line expansion to Arbutus.

Our region has been promised long-term, stable transit and transportation funding for almost two decades. By the end of this year, we will know if this provincial government intends to keep its promise to help improve transit service in our region.

RapidBus: Better B-Lines for Metro Vancouver coming this winter.

While rail rapid transit gets most of the attention in Metro Vancouver, it is the bus system that moves the majority of people who use transit in our region. As part of TransLink’s 10-Year Vision, significant investments are being made to bus service in our region. This includes investing in higher-quality bus service.

Most people in Metro Vancouver know that B-Lines are limited stop bus routes. Limiting the number of bus stops on a route increases the speed of a route.

Another key to speeding up bus service is to provide bus priority measures such as bus-only lanes and bus priority at intersections. Today’s B-Line routes have limited and inconsistent application of bus priority measures.

As it rains a lot in Metro Vancouver, bus shelters are important. Not all B-Line stops have shelters today.

As part of the 10-Year Vision, TransLink will be rolling out more and better B-Line routes.

Some of the meaningful enhancements compared to today’s B-Lines include consistent and targeted bus priority measures along routes, all-door boarding, and articulated buses. Bus stops will also be better as they will have real-time next-bus info and shelters at all stops.

An example of a RapidBus stop post. Select image to enlarge.

Because these routes will be better than B-Line today, TransLink is calling this service RapidBus. The following will be the new RapidBus routes which will be launching in January:

R1: King George Boulevard (Guildford Town Centre to Newton Exchange) – upgraded 96 B-Line
R2: Marine Drive (Park Royal to Phibbs Exchange)
R3: Lougheed Highway (Coquitlam Central Station to Haney Place)
R4: 41st Avenue (UBC to Joyce–Collingwood Station)
R5: Hastings (SFU to Burrard Station) – upgraded 95 B-Line

Bus service on these routes will run every 3 to 10 minutes in peak times, and 8 to 15 minutes at other times of the day. TransLink has posted information about these routes and RapidBus in general on their website.

The following maps show the transit priority measures being implemented on these routes.

R2 - Marine Drive: Map of Transit Priority Measures. Select map to enlarge.

R3 - Lougheed Highway: Map of Transit Priority Measures. Select map to enlarge.

R4 - 41st Avenue: Map of Transit Priority Measures. Select map to enlarge.

Fraser Highway between Langley City and Surrey Central was supposed to get RapidBus service too. Because of the extension of SkyTrain to Fleetwood, this was put on hold. Instead, this corridor will be getting RapidBus Lite service starting this fall. From what I can tell, the only meaningful difference is the lack of bus stop amenities such as real-time info and shelters at all stops. As I will be taking the new Fraser Highway service daily, I will be posting about my experience.

More RapidBus routes will be launched in Metro Vancouver beyond these five as the 10-Year Vision continues to roll out.

Surrey Light Rail, and moving forward with TransLink’s 10-Year Vision

With funding secured for phase 1 of TransLink’s 10-Year Vision for transportation in our region, work is full-steam ahead on implementing phase 1 which includes the following transit service enhancements in the South of Fraser.

Phase 1 South of Fraser transit improvements. Green is new transit service, red is new frequent transit service, and orange is new B-Line service.

It also includes $12.5 million in new regional funding for municipally-owned walking infrastructure, $29.8 million in new regional funding for cycling infrastructure, and $82.5 million for major road network upgrades, rehabilitation, and seismic retrofitting.

Phase 2 of the plan is slated to being in 2018, and will enable more transportation enhancements in the South of Fraser. One of the major enhancements will be light rail along King George Boulevard and 104th Avenue as shown in the following map.

Surrey Light Rail map including stations.

While funding is not yet secured for phase 2, from what I’ve heard, I’m confident that the feds, province, and region’s mayors will be able to come up with the funds needed to pay for the next phase. Mayor Hepner is so confident that she is on the record stating that construction of Surrey Light Rail will begin in 2018.

On the topic of Surrey Light Rail, the City of Surrey and TransLink are having a series of open houses about the project. I attended last night’s open house in Guildford.

Guildford Open House about Surrey Light Rail.

Another map of the Surrey Light Rail project including station stops.

Information and renderings of Surrey Light Rail.

One of the key takeaways for me is that Surrey and TransLink are designing the light rail system to create an accessible community. The renderings of the light rail network show that the system will not only reliably get people around Surrey, but will also create a vibrant public realm that will encourage walking and cycling. For example, if you look closely at where the light rail system will be running in the previous photos, you’ll see that grass is under the tracks to reduce the size of impervious surfaces which is good for the environment, and creates a pleasant public realm.

There are two other public open houses scheduled:

Wednesday, Jan. 25
12 to 5 p.m.
Surrey City Hall Atrium
13450 104 Avenue

Thursday, Jan. 26
4 to 8 p.m.
Newton Cultural Centre
13530 72 Avenue

You can also submit feedback online until February 13th.

While I’m happy that work is well underway to get phase 2 of TransLink’s 10-Year Vision funded and built, I concerned that progress may stall on phase 3. Phase 3 is when light rail or SkyTrain will be built along Fraser Highway to Langley. The final phase is not slated to begin until 2020, and the funding source for that phase will likely be “mobility pricing” or another new funding source.

A new funding source for TransLink has been requested by our region to the province since the agency was created in 1999. While I’m confident that existing funding sources can be used to fund both phase 1 and 2, I’m not as sure about phase 3. That being said, 2020 is a political eternity away, so who knowns what will happen.

After several years of stagnation, transit service in Metro Vancouver is finally expending. This is good news.

New Mayors, SkyTrain, and transit’s future in Metro Vancouver. What does it mean for the South of Fraser and Langley?

In preparation for the transit plebiscite in 2015, the region’s mayors got together and agreed on a transit vision for our region. It was a herculean effort to get a vision that all parts of the region could get behind.

The original vision was to be funded by a 0.5% increase in sales tax, but this was rejected by voters. To move forward, the plan was split into three phases. Phase one was approved in mid-2016, when the federal government, provincial government, and region came to a funding agreement. This took a lot of negotiation.

Funding for phase two of the vision, which included the Broadway SkyTrain extension and Surrey Light Rail along 104th Avenue and King George Boulevard, was approved this spring.

Phase three would have seen light rail built along Fraser Highway between Downtown Surrey and Downtown Langley. Phase three is currently not funded.

It was a difficult 4-year journey to get to where the vision stands today.

With the recent election of the Doug McCallum slate in Surrey, it appears that Surrey Light Rail is off the table. While he alone doesn’t have the power to cancel a project, I can’t see the region forcing a project into a community that doesn’t want it. What does this mean for the future of rapid transit for Langley, the South of Fraser, and the region as a whole?

In one scenario, Surrey Council could look at the numbers and realize that the cost of cancelling Surrey Light Rail would be too much. They would continue with the current vision. This is unlikely.

In another scenario, the majority of the region’s mayors could decide to re-open the transit vision. In this case, most transit expansion stops including the Broadway SkyTrain extension and B-Line service expansion like what is proposed along Fraser Highway.

Another four years is spent coming to a new agreement on what the future of transit should look like in our region. At risk is both federal and provincial money, and delaying much needed transit service as more people get stuck in congestion.

A likely scenario is that the current Surrey Light Rail project will be cancelled with the remaining funding used to build an expansion of the Expo Line along Fraser Highway. The rest of the vision would remain as-is; there would be no rapid transit along King George Boulevard or 104th Avenue for the next 15+ years.

The total budget for the current Surrey Light Rail project is $1.65 billion. The cost to build SkyTrain is estimated at $2.9 billion from Surrey to Langley.

Given the difference in costs, the SkyTrain extension would have to be built in two phases as the federal and provincial government aren’t committing new money to build SkyTrain. The first phase of the SkyTrain extension would likely terminate in Fleetwood. This would be similar to the original 2008 Provincial Transit Plan for Metro Vancouver.

Map of rapid transit expansion as envisioned in the 2008 Provincial Transit Plan select map to enlarge.

Phase three of the ten-year transit vision earmarks around $1.95 billion to build light rail to Downtown Langley. If the rest of the region’s mayors confirm the 10-Year Vision and are able to plug the current funding gap for phase three, there would be enough money to extend SkyTrain to Downtown Langley.

With so many new mayors in our region, I am not confident that phase three will go ahead as currently planned. Over the next year, it will become clear what the future of transit will look like in our region. My hope is that Langley City doesn’t get left behind.

Transport 2050 – Have your say on the region’s long-term transportation vision

Our region has a long history of transportation visions that set out the high-level goals for our road and public transit network. For the most part, these long-term visions get built out on schedule. The most famous and impactful of these visions was Transport 2021, which the region and province adopted in September 1993.

Transport 2021 Vision. Select map to view.

Due to the 2015 transit referendum, a 10-Year Mayors’ Regional Transportation Investments Vision has guided transportation investment over the last decade, but its time is coming to an end.

Mayors’ 10-Year Vision. Select map to view.

We need a new transportation vision for our region.

TransLink staff have been working on Transport 2050, a new long-term vision for Metro Vancouver. In 2019, TransLink received feedback from over 31,000 people about their hopes and concerns for our region’s transportation system.

Out of that feedback, TransLink staff have developed three key themes for Transport 2050:

• Creating People-First Streets: Making it safe and comfortable for you to walk, bike, or roll.
• Building Out the Next Generation of Rapid Transit: More than tripling the rapid transit network. Making it quicker and easier to travel across the region.
• Leveraging Automated Vehicles: Enabling convenient access to car trips, without adding to congestion.

TransLink staff has also developed two high-level concepts for the future rapid transit network.

Network A would build out 100 kilometres of SkyTrain and 100 kilometres of RapidBus or Light Rail in dedicated lanes.

Transport 2050 Network A. Select map to view.

Network B would build out 50 kilometres of SkyTrain and 350 kilometres of RapidBus or Light Rail in dedicated lanes.

Transport 2050 Network B. Select map to view.

Both options would have similar costs to build.

Knowing the history of our region, Network A is likely what our transit network will look like by 2050.

TransLink would like your feedback, and they have set up an engagement site where you can learn more and complete a survey. It is open until May 14, 2021.